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Moto 360 in the heart of Chicago: touring Motorola's new headquarters

Last week, Motorola invited media to see its new headquarters in Chicago's Merchandise Mart, an iconic building in the heart of the city that spans two full city blocks. The move downtown comes at a unique time for this company: it's in the midst of being sold from Google to Lenovo. And at the same time, it's trying to break into a new product category with the stunning Moto 360 smartwatch that's expected to launch this summer.

Motorola's chief designer Jim Wicks spent time with us going over the new facility and what it means for him and his team — and he also gave us a glimpse of the 360, which could be the most beautiful smartwatch yet when it comes to market. Having Lenovo's backing should help weather the uphill battle that Motorola continues to face against Apple and Samsung, but a well-timed launch of this watch could vault the company to another level altogether.

Here's the new Motorola in pictures.

For more, check out our report on Motorola's past, present, and future

Photos by Ryan Lowry

Motorola's new headquarters

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Each stairwell in the building is color-coded with fluorescent lights to remind you of what section you're in.